Some thoughts on… Winning Graciously

What an incredible election ride!  The results are being finalized, as States validate election results, resolve disputes, and certify results by December 8 at which time the Electoral College will be declared.  With 306 electoral votes, all indications show that the winner will be Joseph Biden.  Yet a celebration of the results seems oddly misplaced as over 73 million people (47.2% of the electorate) voted for President Trump.  

How can individuals who supported Biden win graciously?  Let’s look at some supporting facts on the elections.  

First, since elections are decentralized by States, there is a resilience to the process and in the results. There were five states – Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania – that supported Trump in 2016, and that Biden was able to win in 2020.  This gave Biden a larger electoral victory than President Trump had in 2016.

Second, many more ballots were cast this year than in previous years, which makes the choice even clearer.  Examining the popular vote, Biden is estimated to have won over 79 million votes, which is 6 million more votes than Trump.  As a reference point, this is more votes than the entire population of Denmark.  

In the three swing states that Trump won in 2016 which gave him the electoral victory – Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – he won them by around 80,000 votes total.  In other words, he received about 80,000 more votes than his opponent in those three states. This year it is estimated that Biden won those three states by over 250,000 votes (see table below), and Biden additionally secured the two states of Georgia and Arizona.

                                    Trump Vote Margin (2016)     Biden Vote Margin (2020 est)

Michigan                                 10,704                                     155,629

Pennsylvania                           44,292                                       81,185

Wisconsin                               22,748                                       20,608

                                                ---------                                     ----------

Total votes won                      77,744                                     176,237

Third, bipartisan collaboration at polling sites leads to a more equitable process. In my experience at the polling site in Southampton, NY, 12 poll workers were assigned so that there could be equal number of individuals from the two parties.  With about 800 people voting at our site, it was inspiring to see everyone working together to keep the process fair and verifiable.  Even in states where the vote count was close, like Georgia, we see the Republican Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, defending the process and the vote count, honoring the tireless work of all the election officials (the work is exhausting).

Candidates are legally allowed to ask for recounts in states with close counts.  But this year, given the vote margins, the results will not change.  The President has filed for election results to be invalidated by the courts due to alleged voter fraud.  Given the lack of any convincing evidence, the vast majority of these requests have already been denied.  Even the administration’s Director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security, who was hired by the President to ensure the safety of the elections from interference, declared on November 13 that the process was the most “secure in American history”.   Since that statement, he has been fired. 

Although within the bounds of the law, the sitting President’s persistent contesting of the results erodes the reputation and stability of our election process.  If I were to tell my students that there was widespread cheating on a final exam, without any proof, it would not reflect poorly on the grading of the exam.  It would reflect poorly on me.  It would also sow mistrust in the class, as some students will inevitably believe the falsehood and blame their colleagues.

This erosion of trust is occurring across the country as likely millions of Americans believe that the election was rigged.   It will take time to rebuild trust, but my belief is that it will happen.  We have done it before, as when the nation moved on from the 2000 election of Bush and Gore when the Supreme Court stopped the counting of ballots in Florida, giving the electoral win to Bush.

As individuals, one way we can help restore trust is to talk to each other.  Not just a polite conversation, but a conversation of implications and results.  That is why I am encouraging each of you to reach out to someone who voted differently from you.   Invite them to engage, but don’t force a conversation that may not be welcome.  Along those lines, here are three questions I ask, with alternate wording depending on the situation.  I have put my personal answers to the questions as well.

Question 1: What are you most worried about happening to the country if Trump had won (v. when Biden wins)?

-       WN answer: My concern is that over the past 4 years, President Trump has consistently put his financial and personal needs above the welfare of the country.  I do not believe these actions are reflective of a good leader.  I would not want the head of an organization, the head of a company or the head of a family putting their own desires above the welfare of the people they are leading.  I do not expect this behavior from the head of the country either and it brings down the moral authority of the Office of President.  

Question 2: How would you be personally impacted if Trump had been elected President (v. How will you be affected by a Biden Presidency)?

-       WN answer: From a financial perspective, 4 more years of a Trump Presidency are unlikely to have positive effects.  Most likely the economy will continue to falter if there are not sufficient measures instituted to contain the pandemic and control skyrocketing healthcare costs.  From a social perspective, the President’s divisive language will further marginalize different segments of the population.  As a South Asian Muslim immigrant, the President’s language and actions have consistently stated that I don’t belong to this country.

Question 3: How do you think a Trump win would have affected (v Biden win will affect) the next generation of children around you?

-       WN answer: As Americans we have a strong belief that everyone should have a fair chance at success.  When the President leverages his privileged background unfairly and demonstrates that he is willing to change or break the laws if the outcome he desires does not occur, it demonstrates that he considers himself above the law.  He has had four years to make his case to the American people, and the majority have chosen to reject the case.  Children should know that actions have repercussions.

After the conversation, you may not agree with the person, and you may not even understand their point of view.  But if done properly, you will at least have shown respect for them and sent them a message that their experience matters.  Fundamentally, that is what winning graciously means – regardless of the results, we still view each other as important participants to the democratic process.  After a close competition, we pick ourselves up, shake hands, and move on to the next contest.

Please do forward any interesting articles you are reading or the results of your conversations.  Also I have posted all previous blogs at the website: www.kkwn.org.  You can also sign others up to receive posts. Look forward to hearing from you.